Milk performance of dairy cows supplemented with a combination of slow-release nitrogen and exogenous fibrolytic enzyme

Abstract

The purpose of this on-farm trial was to evaluate the impact of supplementing slow-release nitrogen (SRN; min. 40% N) and exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE; cellulase, xylanase, glucanase, mannanase and xylanase-potentiating factor) products on milk yield and composition in dairy cows. Twelve early-to-midlactating crossbred cows were divided into 2 groups with comparable milk production. Animals were fed on a total mixed ration comprising of green maize, wheat straw and concentrate mixture. Group T1 was supplemented with urea at 80 g/animal/d, whereas that of T2 received a novel combination of cellulo-polymer-coated SRN at 80 g and EFE at 4 g/animal/d for a period of 20 days. Results showed no difference in milk yield (13.8 vs. 15.1 kg/d; P=0.559) between the groups; however, milk fat (3.49 vs. 3.87%) and solid not fat (7.92 vs. 8.35%) levels were higher (P<0.05) in group T2 than T1. Furthermore, on applying 2-axis milk payment system, group T2 demonstrated a return on investment of 8.3:1. It was, therefore, concluded that supplementing a combination of SRN and EFE carries practical worth to enhance milk composition, thereby boosting economic gain in dairy farming under Indian context.